Picture this: you've just launched your ecommerce store and are excited to start selling your products online. You've put a lot of time and effort into creating your Shopify store, but there's one problem – no one can find it!
Search Engine Optimization for Shopify Themes
This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in: customizing your Shopify theme and optimizing it for search engines, you can make sure your target audience can find you and start making purchases.
How do you actually do that though? In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most effective and essential SEO strategies for ecommerce websites. Let’s take the guesswork out of SEO best practices!
1. Titles and Meta Descriptions
When you look at your page titles and meta descriptions, remember that these are often the first things a potential customer will see when searching for your products. Using relevant keywords and accurately describing the content on the page can improve your click-through rates and ultimately increase your website's visibility in search engine results.
Your page titles and meta descriptions are your first impression on search engine users. Make sure they're catchy to stand out from the competition but informative so users can find what they're looking for.
2. Header tags
Header tags help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content and improve readability for your audience. By using relevant keywords in your Shopify store's blog and landing page header tags, you can signal to search engines what your content is about and improve your SEO rankings.
Think of header tags as a table of contents for your content. Use them strategically to break up your content, highlight important information, and make navigating more accessible for both search engines and shoppers.
3. Image optimization
Optimizing your images is one of the easiest ways to improve your site's core metrics to help improve search engine rankings, especially since product photos are one of the most important parts of an ecommerce store.
By compressing images and using descriptive file names and alt tags, you can help search engines understand the content on the page and improve your website's rankings.
Image optimization isn't just about SEO — it's also about improving user experience. Large, slow-loading images can drive visitors away, so make sure your images are compressed and optimized for fast loading times.
4. High-quality content
Creating unique and high-quality content that provides value to your audience is a fundamental aspect of SEO. Optimizing your content with relevant keywords and avoiding duplication can improve your website's visibility and authority in search engine results.
It's good for your brand (and of course, SEO) to create high-quality content. Consistently producing informative, engaging content will help establish authority and build trust with your audience.
5. Internal Linking structure
Internal linking helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your content and helps visitors navigate your website more easily. Using internal links to connect related content can improve your website's usability and your SEO rankings.
Internal linking is about more than just improving navigation, though. It's also about spreading link equity throughout your site. Use internal links strategically to direct visitors to important pages and help search engines understand your site structure.
6. Descriptive URLs
Using descriptive URLs helps with SEO in a roundabout way. It doesn't help you improve your search rankings on it its own, but it makes it easier for visitors to understand what the page is about before clicking on it, which decreases your bounce rate and increases time-on-page.
Those relevancy metrics are clear signals to search engines that your content is helpful to users, which then does help improve your search rankings. So, indirectly, URLS can play a part in SEO.
7. Design for mobile
With more and more people using mobile devices to browse the web, having a mobile-friendly website is essential for SEO. Responsive design that displays differently depending on the browser size is a must, and don’t forget to test your website on different devices, you can ensure that your website looks and functions properly on all devices.
Mobile optimization isn't optional anymore — it's a must-have. With more and more users browsing on mobile devices, a mobile-friendly site is essential for reaching your audience and staying competitive.
8. Product Descriptions
Optimizing your product descriptions with relevant keywords and unique, informative content can help your products stand out in search engine results. By providing value to potential customers, you can increase the likelihood of conversions and improve your SEO rankings.
A good product description doesn't just describe the product — it sells it. Don’t just describe features either! Instead, share benefits and answer common questions to convince visitors to why they should order your products.
9. Structured Data
Adding structured data to your website can improve your website's visibility in search engine results and make it easier for potential customers to find relevant information. Using schema.org markup can provide search engines with more detailed information about your website's content.
Structured data can be a competitive edge in search results because only some have it (or even know they should)! By providing context and information about your content, structured data helps search engines better understand your site and present your content in a more valuable and appealing way.
10. Social Sharing
Adding social sharing buttons to your website can help increase social signals — ranking factors for search engines.
Social sharing buttons make it easy for visitors to amplify your content and expand your reach. Make sure your social sharing buttons are prominently displayed, and consider using a tool to track social engagement.
11. Site architecture
A logical and easy-to-navigate site architecture is another SEO-aiding strategy that doesn't necessarily help directly but can influence the overall site's usability. Using categories, tags, and a clear hierarchy can help visitors find what they're looking for more efficiently, which is a critical part of SEO rankings.
A well-organized site structure helps users find what they're looking for and allows search engines to crawl and index your site more efficiently. Use categories and tags to group related content, and make sure your navigation is easy to use.
12. Anchor text
Using descriptive anchor text that accurately describes the content on the page you're linking to can improve your website's visibility and authority in search engine results.
Anchor text is like a signpost for search engines and users. Use clear, descriptive language to signal what visitors can expect to find on the linked page and help search engines understand the content and context of your site.
13. Backlink building
Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources is an essential aspect of SEO. By building relationships with other websites in your industry and creating valuable content that others will want to link to, you can improve your website's authority and visibility in search engine results.
Building high-quality backlinks takes time and effort, but it's worth it. Focus on earning links from relevant, authoritative sources, and avoid shady tactics that could land you in hot water with search engines.
14. Performance monitoring
Monitoring your website's performance is essential for identifying areas for improvement and making data-driven decisions to improve your SEO rankings.
Regularly monitoring your site's performance can help you catch issues before they become major problems. Use analytics tools to track important metrics like traffic, bounce rate, and page load times, and take action to improve where needed.
SEO for Shopify Themes TL;DR
SEO is a critical component of any successful ecommerce strategy. Optimizing your Shopify theme for search engines can improve your online visibility, drive traffic to your site, and increase sales.
From optimizing page titles and meta descriptions to building high-quality backlinks and monitoring your site's performance, there are literally dozens of strategies you can stay ahead of the competition and take your Shopify store’s success to the next level through SEO.